Vader's Empire I
by MissiriKoharehn
Summary: Sidious is dead, Darth Vader is Emperor, Mustafar didn't happen quite the same, and Starkiller is 8 years older than "canon" and second in command. Part 1: Darth Vader discovers there's a lot more going on on Tatooine than just slavery to abolish. [Repost]
1. Prologue

_A/N: This story used to have flashbacks every other chapter. The flashback chapters would have a short bit of the actual storyline; I didn't rearrange the chapter content to preserve certain cliffhangers and to keep things as close to the original story as possible. Thus, the chapter lengths up to chapter 8 may be very different from one chapter to the next._

 _I'm posting this as a rewrite, and have therefore left out all the author's notes up to chapter 8. The original story, with flashbacks and A/N's, can be found on my profile, for those interested._

 _I_ _had_ _a disclaimer, but it was in a flashback chapter... oh well, anyways, Star Wars is Disney's. Sadly. I don't like Disney Star Wars. :(_

* * *

Darth Vader had been... surprised, to say the least, when he found out how helpful teenage hormones could be in drawing the power of the Dark Side.

Mood swings, plummeting down to incredible depths of rage and hatred, came with their downside however: when they soared back up.

All this, he had learned while teaching his now 18 year old apprentice, Starkiller. Vader briefly wondered if he had been like that at that age. Something told him he'd been worse.

It's been eight years since he had found the boy, two since he had killed his Sith master-he was now Emperor of the galaxy-and 10 since the Republic gave way to the Empire.

But the boy was powerful in Force. Not nearly as powerful as himself, the Chosen One, but quite powerful; he would become a great Sith and worthy of continuing Bane's line of Sith. He was already very skilled with a lightsabre. If things had gone differently on Mustafar, perhaps he would even be close to Vader's equal.

Mustafar...

Vader remembered Mustafar, and the visions that had haunted him for many months after. Darth Sidious had "saved" his apprentice, arriving just before he made the fatal leap over Kenobi. The Jedi had escaped with his pregnant wife, and he was later told that Kenobi had killed both her and the child.

But for months after the incident, he would have nightmares, of a completely different result. Sidious wasn't there when he prepared to make the leap. He jumped, and Kenobi cut off all three of his real limbs, and he had been left to burn on the hot lava-river bank; soon afterwards, he was fitted in a new life support suit with a hissing respirator. And he was told that he had killed Padme.

He could only be glad that wasn't what had happened. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been powerful enough to overthrow Sidious and take the throne. Things were certainly quite messy back then, and the Imperial Navy was briefly left without a Supreme Commander. They definitely didn't take well to their new leader-a 16 year old Starkiller-but Vader didn't have anyone else, and he certainly wasn't going to promote one of the non-Force-sensitive Admirals or Moffs.

Right now, he was waiting for his apprentice to return from his latest mission: destroy slavery on Tatooine. When he had become Emperor he vowed to change many things that Palpatine had encouraged-political corruption and slavery being the two main ones he despised. Many of the politicians and Moffs had already been killed off. Slavery was another problem-it was everywhere in the galaxy, and he couldn't possibly hope to end all of it. Zygeria was only recently taken care of. Now Tatooine.

His personal holocomm unit alerted him of an incoming call, from his apprentice. He answered it, a blue Starkiller figure appearing in front of him.

"Master. The slaves on Tatooine have been freed."

"Good. Well done, my apprentice. You may return to Coruscant now." There was a pause, and then, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, my Master. I have discovered another Jedi. I believe it is Obi-Wan Kenobi..."


	2. deleted flashback

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?! ...You are sure of this?"

"Yes, my master."

Of course. _Tatooine._ How could he _not_ have thought of it? It was so like his old master, to choose the one planet he hated most, that held the most painful memories.

And now... He would have to return, and add one more. Although, perhaps this one could finally be a good memory, the death of his beloved wife's murderer. He will finally have his revenge. For ten years he fantasized the best way to make that Jedi suffer, to make him pay for his horrible actions! There were no words to describe his hatred, loathe-detest- _despise_ ; they didn't even come close. And now he had his chance. Death would be a mercy-no, a blessing-for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Master?" Starkiller's voice interrupted his reverie. He seemed slightly unsettled by the sadistic grin on Vader's face, partly hidden underneath his hood.

He returned his attention to the holocomm. "Where is he?"

"I saw him in Anchorhead, and then he left for the Jundland Wastes. Should I follow him?"

"Find out where he lives, then return to your ship and then meet me in Bestine." He cut the transmission, still smiling to himself in eager anticipation.


	3. Preparations

He entered another frequency, to his men in the palace hanger bay. "Prepare my shuttle," he said simply, and then commed Ashané Blin. "I am heading to Tatooine. Keep things in order when I am gone."

Ashané was one of the more... _competent_ politicians. She had been more loyal to Vader than Sidious in the first place, which might have helped in her being chosen to "be in charge of things" while the new Emperor wasn't around-because he frequently wasn't, since he wasn't the type to sit around on a throne and attend meetings all the time. So she was the one that usually did that instead, minus the sitting on a throne part. She took care of the political side of things, giving His Majesty a condensed summary when he asked for it. She didn't ramble during those; she was practical, and she took instructions and knew him well. Darth Vader trusted her with the Empire, and she knew that if she messed up, more than just her _life_ would be at stake.

* * *

 _Tatooine_

Obi-Wan Kenobi, the hermit not-Jedi, could sense when Vader arrived on Tatooine-and when he did, he knew that his exile here was at an end. He wondered, for a moment, if he would be able to lead him off planet, and at least keep Luke safe... But he knew it was too late. He could sense the dark presence of the Sith drawing ever closer to his hut, and he knew his former pupil could sense him as well.

What surprised him, however, was the overwhelming _hatred_ that he could feel. What had he done, to be the target of such hate? He thought back, but he could not think of anything other than that he had failed his brother and friend.

He wouldn't need to worry for much longer. Vader was approaching, on speeder. He would be here anytime now.

Obi-Wan remembered sensing the other dark presence, earlier in Anchorhead on a supply run, and then recognizing the new Empire's second-in-command, Lord Starkiller. He was almost certain that he was Vader's apprentice. He had sensed that Starkiller was quite powerful in the Force, probably more so than himself in his current state. He'd also heard the rumours about his youth, but he wasn't sure what to make of them; he wore his Sith armour and mask/helmet almost everywhere.

Obi-Wan knew that he would have to keep Luke safe, and a secret, from the Empire. The Emperor-his father-can _not_ know about him, the galaxy's last hope... of course, there was the twin sister, Leia, but she was half a galaxy away.

He could only hope that he would be able to communicate with the twins through the Force after he died, the way Qui-Gon had taught him over these years.

Vader was nearly here now. The apprentice was not with him.

He knew it was useless to try and refresh his lightsabre skills now, after being out of practise for ten years, but he would not go down without a fight. He clipped the long-unused lightsabre to his belt, the weight that was once comforting, now only a reminder of what was to come.

He settled for meditating just outside of his hovel while he waited for Vader to arrive.

Before long, Vader's presence was only a few metres away. It seems he had walked here, and left his speeder a ways off.

"I've waited 10 long years for this moment, _Kenobi._ " Vader's surprisingly calm voice brought him out of his meditation, and he stood, brushing sand off his clothes.

"As have I. Though, I wouldn't have minded waiting a few years longer."


	4. del flashback

Obi-Wan regarded his former apprentice with a mixture of sadness and regret. He hadn't seen him in 10 years, except a few times on the holonet reports, and he always wore his hood and cloak in those.

Now, without the cloak (he had probably taken it off in anticipation for the fight), Obi-Wan could see him clearly. Anakin—no, Vader now—looked almost the same, and yet at the same time he seemed so different. Where ice blue eyes once shone with the determination to save lives, now there were only golden ones with determination to _kill_. His boyish smirk was gone, a disgusted sneer mixed with a sadistic grin in its place.

And the _hatred_ —it rolled off him in waves through the Force, and Obi-Wan wondered again what had caused such hatred.

"Spare me your dry humour, old man. We both know why I am here," Vader said.

Obi-Wan was certain that it was nothing more than him being one of the last surviving Jedi, and being his old Master, the Emperor had deemed it fit to come kill him himself. But then said Emperor continued, "The death of my wife and child will be avenged," and Obi-Wan was thrown into confusion—but there was no time for him to question or reply, for just then Vader ignited his crimson sabre and leapt at the ex-Jedi Master.


	5. Desert Duel

Obi-Wan barely had time to ignite his own sabre and bring it up to block the crushing blow, but block it he did, and for the second time the Chosen One faced the Jedi that was once a brother to him, this time not on a lava planet, but on a desert one.

The past 10 years had not been kind to Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had gone horribly out of practise in his exile. Vader, however, had been training and fighting for the same 10 years. As blue clashed on red and the two Force-users battled it out on the desert sands of Tatooine, it soon became clear who would win.

This was not Mustafar, when Obi-Wan was in his prime. Granted, it had hurt so much more to be fighting his freshly-fallen brother, while now he was used to thinking of Anakin as dead and Vader having taken his place. But Vader had only just begun experiencing the Dark Side then, and now he was all but a Master at it.

As the flashing battle moved across the sands, Obi-Wan was forced farther from his small hut, until it was quite a ways in the distance.

His former Padawan chose this time to speak up again. "I will take great joy in giving you as slow and painful of a death as possible," he growled as their sabres locked again, "you will pay for killing Padmé!"

There it was again—the accusation that _he_ had killed the late Senator Amidala, who had died tragically in childbirth. Obi-Wan replied the next time they broke apart.

"I didn't kill Padmé and I don't know what you're talking about," he said quickly. His thoughts once again turned to young Luke, far off at the Lars homestead. If he told Vader about his son, it would prove Padmé wasn't killed, but it would put Luke in danger of being taken and trained in the Sith ways.

"Don't lie to me, Obi-Wan! You killed her, I know it!" He yelled, as they swung their sabres, the fight continuing on.

"And who told you that?!"

"Palp—Sidious! Wait..." Vader suddenly hesitated, however briefly, and it gave Obi-Wan hope.

Before Vader fell back into his rage, Obi-Wan cut in, "He was lying. I didn't kill her. I was there when she... When she died in childbirth."

For a moment, it seemed Vader had believed him. He looked horror-struck, even taking half a step back. But then denial fell in, the Dark Side comforting him with rage and the promise of revenge. "Liar," he snarled, and he charged at him even more fiercer than before.

Soon, Obi-Wan was beginning to tire. He couldn't hold out for much longer. Again, he thought of Luke, the Jedi's—the _galaxy's_ —last hope. He could not be allowed to follow in his father's footsteps. He could not be found. _He cannot be discovered. He cannot be discovered._ Subconsciously he began repeating it like a mantra, his mind filling with worry.

"Your thoughts betray you, old man. You're concerned over someone... Who is it?! I will find him and make him suffer as much as you will!"

He did his best to ignore the threats. _For Luke_ , he thought, then desperately tried to squash the thought. He couldn't be thinking about him. Vader would sense his thoughts.

"I sense it... a Padawan, isn't it?! You have been training a Padawan all these years! I will force them to watch as I torture you to a slow, painful death, and then do the same to them!"

 _No... You can't... He's your..._ Again, Obi-Wan thrust the thought away from his mind, returning his focus to the battle at hand. But the thoughts were distracting. Soon Vader had him disarmed, his lightsabre flying off into the distance—along with a portion of the hand that had held it.

He winced in pain, stifling a yell into a grunt, as he stumbled backwards a couple steps away from the Sith Lord. A red lightsabre swung into view, the blade hovering at his neck.

He looked up defiantly at its wielder. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine," he said, forcing himself to ignore the pain in his hand.

"Enough of your lies, Kenobi. I do not plan to kill you—yet. First, I must find your Padawan, and together you will die in the most agonizing way possible. His presence... It shines bright in the Force. It seems you have failed to teach him even the simplest shielding techniques."

"I don't have a Padawan. The Dark Side must be clouding your mind."

Obi-Wan had no idea how much the situation was reminding Vader of his fight with Kento Marek. Vader half-expected his lightsabre to fly out of his hands into a young boy's—

"Ben?! No, stop! Don't kill Ben!"

 _...Close enough._


	6. deleted flshbck

_So this is Kenobi's Padawan,_ Vader thought. It was just like the Jedi to have been training a child so young—it was almost unsettling, how similar in age he seemed to Galen Marek when Vader had found him. He also shone just as brightly in the Force as Galen had, if not brighter.

"Luke, no!" a voice called out, and Vader was surprised that it wasn't Kenobi. Instead, it was another man, possibly the boy—Luke—'s father or guardian. He was in a landspeeder and in the process of getting out. Luke, it seemed, had already scrambled out of the speeder and was making his way towards the two, only for the man—who was starting to seem ever so slightly familiar—to grab him and hold him back.

Vader turned back to Obi-Wan, who he'd pinned onto the ground with the Force. "So, your Padawan has arrived. I will enjoy having him watch you suffer." He raised his left hand, the one without the prosthetic, and bright blue lightning crackled forth.


	7. Revelations

_Warning: Lots of mentions of torture. Nothing graphic... but, still. Force Lightning and the like._

* * *

Owen Lars was quick to pull young Luke away from the scene, turning him away and covering his ears, in an attempt to block out the sounds of Obi-Wan's screams of pain. He had never expected a trip to trade with the Jawas would turn out this way. Of course, he probably should never have listened to Luke when he started insisting that they "just had to" go in "that" direction, seemingly pointing randomly. _And look how that turned out,_ he thought. _I never should have humoured the boy_.

Luke had burst into tears when he heard the screams, burying his face into Owen, with occasional mumbles of "Ben". Owen began to pull Luke back into the speeder, eager to get away from the scene.

Vader, who was enjoying his former Master's agony, suddenly stopped the attack of Force Lightning. Obi-Wan weakly managed to lift his head to look up—only to see Vader using the Force to pry Luke away from his uncle and face the two Force-users.

Turning back to face his victim, Vader said, "Your Padawan _will_ watch as you suffer... and then, when you are near your death, I will keep you alive and watch _him_ suffer in turn!"

Obi-Wan braced himself for another round of Force Lightning, but instead, Vader approached him, his lightsabre ignited again and swinging it about casually. He immediately caught on to what was about to happen.

*detailed torture scene skipped because of rating... though, I would've just _loved_ to write it...*

Luke was still sniffling, unable to bring his hands up to cover his ears, and his uncle unable to help him as well. He watched and heard as the man whom he'd only known as Old Ben Kenobi was slashed repeatedly in non-vital areas by the Sith Lord's searing red lightsabre.

Finally, the lightsabre was shut off and put away. Obi-Wan could only guess at what that meant, his mind finding it difficult to focus on the situation through the pain and heat. It seemed, he realized belatedly, that Vader was to give one final onslaught of Force Lightning, both higher in intensity and so many times more painful due to all the lightsabre burns he now had.

When it finally stopped, Obi-Wan was sure he was almost dead. Vaguely, he thought that that was supposed to mean something. He was near death. Something was going to happen. Something bad. Important. Urgh... Why was it so hard to think? Something... it meant something... nearly dead...

 _LUKE!_

His eyes and ears weren't working very well anymore, but he could still access the Force. He could sense Vader's presence approaching Luke, as well as the boy's overwhelming fear radiating through the Force intensely. He did not overestimate Vader's conscience. Vader said he would torture Obi-Wan's supposed "Padawan", and so he would. It didn't seem to matter whether he could see or not now; the Sith knew that Obi-Wan would be able to feel Luke's pain.

This couldn't happen. This couldn't be happening, Obi-Wan thought. Vader, here; Luke, about to die; the galaxy's hope, lost... himself, lying on the ground and dying. He didn't mind the last one all that much, actually. He knew his mind/spirit would still be alive through the Force. But Luke...

Luke couldn't die. Obi-Wan could not let that happen. It no longer mattered what would happen to him; it no longer mattered if he were to become like his father. Right now, it only mattered that he _live_.

Obi-Wan was exhausted, dying, and in agonizing pain, but he had to let his last statement be known. And so, with a feeble attempt to wet his lips slightly, he forced the words out, making sure to amplify his voice (and at the same time giving himself just a bit more strength) with the Force, to ensure Vader would hear him—simultaneously he projected the thought through the Force just in case:

" _ **He is your son, Anakin...! Luke... Skyw... wal...ker... ..."**_


	8. dlted flashbk

Darth Vader's scarlet-red lightsabre froze mid-strike, its blade mere inches from the boy's prone body. Shock, horror, devastation, confusion, revulsion, betrayal; those were only a few of the multitude of emotions racing through the Dark Lord's mind.

 _A son. A son. Son. Son! Child! Padme! Obi-Wan—Sidious—Lies, so many lies—..._ He took an uncertain step back, his extinguished sabre falling harmlessly out of his hands onto the sand.

He was not the only one who had heard Obi-Wan's final cry, however. Luke's eyes snapped open from after he'd closed them in terror, upon hearing the life-shattering words through the Force in his mind. _This... this is Anakin Skywalker? This is my father?_

It seemed the only one who was still unaware of the situation was Owen, who was caught between utter bewilderment at the sudden pause, and using the opportunity to get Luke to safety. Being non-Force sensitive, he hadn't heard the stunning revelation, and was thus completely confused as to why Vader had shock written all over his features and had taken a step back.

* * *

 _A/N: This is the last of the chapters from the original VE. Updates will now occur as per usual, every 2-3 days*. Chapter length will be much more consistent, around the length of chapter 7._

 _*This is including both this story and the "Rise of Vader's Empire" prequel. I may update either one after 2-3 days._


	9. Son of Skywalker

Of course, it wasn't just Obi-Wan's words that had made Vader pause. As if he would just trust the word of a Jedi! But the Force had cried out in confirmation, joyful at the reunion of father and son. He could feel now the inseparable Force Bond connecting him to the no-longer-cowering boy in front of him, who, now that he looked closer, quite resembled himself when he was that age.

The boy—Luke, his son's name is Luke!—suddenly spun around when the man who had accompanied him put his hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Come on, Luke; let's go!" he said, in an urgent, hushed voice, as if speaking any louder would break the 'trance' that Vader seemed to be in.

Now that Vader wasn't distracted with fighting/torturing Kenobi, he once again felt that sense of familiarity, as if he had met and should know this person. He cautiously sifted through the memories of Anakin Skywalker, long buried but not forgotten, because some things just cannot be forgotten.

 _Like the death of his mother._

He had met the Lars that day, and though it was only for a brief moment, it was the most likely and logical possibility that this was indeed who this was—Owen Lars, probably.

The pieces quickly began falling into place in his mind. Kenobi hadn't killed his child; that would be too un-Jedi-like. Instead, he'd taken him and kept him hidden on Tatooine with his uncle, and possibly an aunt seeing as Owen had been close to a girl when he'd visited. What was her name, B-something?

He returned his attention to the current situation. Owen was trying to drag Luke back into the speeder without Vader noticing, and Luke was resisting, seemingly in shock and mumbling something about "Anakin", "father", "Skywalker", and "Ben".

"You—" Owen's head snapped up to face him when he spoke at last, "—are Owen Lars?"

"Yes, and I'm not going to let you harm the boy!" Owen answered, boldly putting himself between Luke and Vader. Luke was sitting in his proper spot in the speeder by now, still a bit shocked and overwhelmed.

Vader raised his eyebrows in a mixture of surprise and a Sithly version of 'seriously/are you kidding me?' This man clearly did not recognize him as the Emperor of the galaxy. Then again, he wasn't wearing his usual cloak and he didn't show his face much on the Holonet.

"I am Emperor Vader," he informed him casually, though the threat/challenge in his voice was clear. He saw Owen stiffen and his mouth fell open slightly, but those were the only signs of shock shown. He continued, "What is he to you? He is only your step-nephew, while he is _my son._ "

Owen hesitated, unsure of how to respond to that. He didn't believe for a second that the Emperor wasn't lying, even if (especially since) he was the Emperor. Luckily, Luke chose this moment to speak up.

"Uncle Owen?" His voice was barely more than a whisper. Both his uncle and father— _father! His father was alive–his father was the Emperor!—_ turned their attention to him. He quickly grew uncomfortable under the attention, but he continued nevertheless. "He... He's not lying. He _is_..." Luke couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"Luke—wha—Luke, what are you saying?! You don't actually believe him, do you? Your father is dead—"

"Who told you that?" Vader demanded.

Owen glanced at Obi-Wan's fallen form. "Kenobi did."

Vader could feel his anger rising again. Kenobi. It was always Kenobi. Perhaps he hadn't killed his wife, but he had still taken his child, his and Padmé's child, and hid him away on this awful dustball.

Owen, however, he wasn't sure of. On one hand, he had raised his son, and from what Vader could tell, his stepbrother had taken good care of the boy. On the other, he had likely raised Luke on lies about his father and the Empire. But that could mostly be blamed on, again, Kenobi.

After an awkward silence between the three, Vader spoke at last. "We should not stay out here in the desert for much longer. Tell me, where is it you live?"

"Near Anchorhead, on a moisture farm."

"Co-ordinates?"

Owen gave them.

"Very well. We will continue this discussion at your residence." And with that, Vader walked off in the direction of his own vehicle. He certainly wasn't just going to abandon his custom-made craft to the desert and Jawas.

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry this update took longer than usual; Owen Lars was a hard character to write and I also kind of got preoccupied with other things *_*. (Such as planning way ahead and writing random one-shots.)_

 _Episode 1 of Vader's Empire is nearly complete, just two or three more chapters. I have a lot planned for this AU though, so don't worry! We'll be meeting Leia, Ahsoka, Rebels characters, Force Unleashed characters, and more! The Rebellion will be forming, but it will be so much weaker, due to (in-story) people's satisfaction with_ _Vader's_ _rule_ _!_

 _In regards to chapter length: this was addressed in an A/N in the original story. I know my chapters are pretty short but I would rather post what I have so far, instead of waiting, because long chapter goals = immensely slow updates. However, I will try to steadily increase chapter lengths with a simple goal of having the current chapter longer than the one before it._

 _Thank you to all my reviewers/followers/favouriters. I apologize for the extreme confusion I may have caused with the repostings. *_*_

 _I hope I can make up for the delay somewhat by revealing the next chapter's title: "Prince and Heir". I'm quite excited myself to see what will happen. :)_

* * *

 **Posted 5/23/15**


	10. Prince and Heir

_A/N: Sorry for the very long update delay. I've been... busy with stuff. Like starting several other stories on this site *_*. Oh right, and it was exam period, for about the last couple of weeks. Though it really doesn't make a difference whether there's much schoolwork or not; it's just lack of inspiration and the mood to write._

 _But, as I may or may not have mentioned (I can't even remember) I don't have a set updating schedule because that gets stressful for me. I update whenever I want. So, sorry not sorry?_

 _Anyways. I have made this chapter longer than the last one. Enjoy *_*_

* * *

Beru Whitesun was a very ordinary and plain person, but she didn't mind that. She didn't crave adventure or dream of the stars beyond this dustball. She was a moisture farmer's wife, and a (step) aunt, and she didn't wish for more.

But Beru wasn't a Skywalker.

Skywalkers, she should have known, would never be bound to the land forever. She and Owen had tried to protect him, telling him hardly anything about his parents. But the son of an esteemed Senator and the Chosen One will surely see greatness.

She just wished it wasn't this way.

Emperor Vader currently sat across from her in the little home underground. When she had first opened the door to see him standing there, she nearly fainted in horror and fear right then and there. But she managed to stay standing, gripping the door frame tightly.

She'd greeted him, "Emperor Vader, your Majesty," and then stood there uncertainly. "Can... I help you?" She asked tentatively.

"It concerns your nephew, Luke Skywalker. He is my son."

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say. Would he kill her now, and Owen too, and take off with her little boy? No, he wasn't hers. But she would not let him be taken and raised by a monster, who'd sat himself down in one of the chairs nearby.

Meanwhile, Vader himself wasn't sure what to do. He was the kind of person that took what he wanted, and if anyone stood in his way they will die. But this was his son. His son that he was sure was dead, lost, gone, killed by Kenobi. Now he knows that his master had lied in that aspect; his son was living proof.

Oh how he wanted to simply snatch him away to live with him in the luxuries of the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, with the best of everything, away from this dull desert life. It would be so simple, except Luke would most likely hate him. He already hated him for killing Kenobi; he would never forgive him if he killed his aunt and uncle. (Whom he didn't particularly care for, even if they were his own stepbrother and stepsister in law.)

So the question was, what did he want more? Luke himself, or Luke's love and acceptance?

He was a Sith Lord. Sith Lords don't love...

But he was also the Sith Master, the head and leader of the Sith Order right now. There was no Sidious to worry about now. He, only himself, could define what it meant to be a Sith.

Darth Vader had abandoned the Jedi Order largely because of their no attachments rule. When he became a Sith, he no longer had any attachments, with Padmé dead and Obi-Wan an enemy. Now, he had a son, and he didn't know what to do with him—or feel about him.

Beru was starting to get nervous at Vader's silence. What was he planning?

Just then, there was some commotion at the door, and then Owen entered with Luke. "Emperor Vader. You've already arrived." He stated, not without some nervousness.

"Yes. I have decided that Luke will be coming with me," Vader said at last. "He will be raised well as the Prince of the Empire and heir to the throne after me."

Owen and Beru exchanged a glance. Neither of them liked this at all. They didn't trust Vader in the slightest, sure that he would corrupt young Luke to become a Sith Lord like himself. "Do we have a choice?" Owen asked.

"You would rather he grow up on this lifeless desert?!" Vader demanded. "He will be raised with the best the galaxy has to offer, the best education, the best healthcare, and a rich environment, under my care on Coruscant. He will have everything there. What more do you want for him?!"

The Lars were shocked at his outburst. They never expected that Vader would want to take Luke because he cared. They were sure he wanted him for his Force sensitivity, or whatever terrible reasons. But not because he _cared._

The Jedi hermit had warned them, that they had to protect the boy from Vader and Palpatine at all costs. But that had been before Vader became Emperor. What if the Jedi's warning had been mainly directed at Palpatine? Vader had been Emperor for only a couple years, and already the Galaxy was better off than it ever had been under Palpatine's rule. Slavery was in the process of being completely eradicated. Criminal activity was at an all-time low. While Palpatine had only cared about the oppression of the citizens, it almost seemed as if Vader actually cared about his people's wellbeing, with the huge Imperial Navy's new purposes.

Could Vader possibly be more trustworthy—be _better—_ than Palpatine?

Could they trust him with Luke, or was this just another manipulative act of the Sith?

Tentatively, Beru said quietly, "But will he be loved? Material goods will not matter if he is not happy..."

Silence followed Beru's question and statement. Vader wanted desperately to say yes, yet at the same time the Dark Side screamed at him that that would be a lie. Did he love Luke?"

"I will try," was all he said, softly, a near-silent murmur. His gaze dropped to the ground, uncertain. Why was he revealing this weakness to these people?

 _Because of Luke. For Luke._

 _For my son... and for Padmé, my angel._

* * *

 _A/N: Ehh, not much to say this time. I have most of the next chapter already written, but I'm going to post it after I update some of my other stories._

 _Thank yous to all those who have reviewed/favourited/followed this story; your support is appreciated_


	11. Departure

Vader let Luke pack up his stuff and say goodbye to his aunt and uncle he waited outside with his speeder.

"Luke, are you sure this is okay with you?" Beru asked once Vader had left.

"I... I don't know. Why did you lie to me about my father?"

"What do you mean?"

"You told me he was Anakin Skywalker. This isn't Anakin Skywalker."

"Maybe he is," Owen said gruffly.

Luke and Beru ignored him. There was a pause, and then Luke got up and went over to hug Beru. "I don't want to go. I'll miss you." He was trying not to cry.

"I know, Luke. But he's not going to let you stay here... who knows, maybe you'll be better off with him—"

Both Owen and Luke made to interrupt her, but Owen got there first. "Better off?! How is he going to be _better off_ with _Darth Vader_ than with us?"

"I don't know—but you heard what he said. He'll have everything he needs and more... and maybe... maybe, there's still some of Anakin Skywalker left in him. You saw him before he left."

"Maybe he was pretending. It's what his kind does."

"Well we can't do anything about it! He'll take Luke by force if he has to. I don't want this as much as you do. I know Ben Kenobi said to keep him away from the Empire... but he's gone now; and the Empire's changed—"

"I—I should go now," Luke interrupted suddenly, his gaze at the entrance. He wasn't quite sure how but he'd felt Vader's patience wearing thin. He gave his uncle a hug, and then Beru bent down and kissed him on the forehead.

"Goodbye Luke," she said, and the farewell was echoed by the other two in the room.

Luke retreated to his bedroom, where he gathered up his meagre belongings in a rough bag. They weren't much; just some clothes and toys. He finished moments later. With a final goodbye as he left the only home he'd known for ten years, he stepped outside to where Vader—his father—was waiting.

Vader only gave a nod of acknowledgement when Luke emerged. He gestured for Luke to get on the speeder with him, and together they sped off into the desert... to a spaceport, where they would be leaving this dustball for good.

* * *

 _A/N: ...Uh, really sorry for not updating and stuff. I kind of... I don't even know. Whatever. *_*_

 _I said I had most of the "next chapter" written in the last chapter; that was a lie—I put that in a separate chapter. Which has likely already been posted by the time you're reading this. Enjoy! :)_

 _(Oh right, and that's also why this chapter is so short. I had all but the last two paragraphs sitting in my computer, and... oh, I dunno. I felt like separating them.)_


	12. First Meeting (extra)

_A/N: This is a deleted scene which I had intended to post as a oneshot/separate story, but I felt I should make up for the long update time (and the short chapter before this). It was prewritten before even chapter 10._

 _It was originally titled, "VE: Awkwardness oneshot". I wrote it in a sudden burst of inspiration amongst utter boredom. [jk I was procrastinating]_

 _Basically, Starkiller meets Luke for the first time. Yay, we finally see Starkiller again! :) (Or not so yay, if you don't actually know who he is. *_*)_

* * *

Starkiller didn't know what to make of Luke. He thought the strange desert boy was, well, strange. Add to that the fact that this was supposed to be the son of his Master, the great Emperor Vader himself, and he really wasn't sure how to interact with the boy.

Luke didn't look like he was used to authority and official stuff, and he didn't seem to know how to interact with the older teen either. The past day's events had been hard on Luke, with the sudden change in lifestyle from everything he had ever known, plus the awful tortured death of Ben Kenobi. He was obviously uncomfortable, fidgeting in his seat and looking anywhere but at Starkiller.

*Aaawwkkwwaaaarrrdd...*

Bored, Luke finally managed to muster up the courage to attempt to initiate conversation.

"So... uh, hi. I'm Luke."

"I am Lord Starkiller." He wasn't sure what else to say. Should he mention that he was second in command in the Empire and supreme commander of the Imperial Navy? It would seem like he was boasting, though he knew the younger boy would likely be impressed. Unsure and glad for a break from the awkward tension, he decided to mention the Supreme Commander part.

"Oh. So, you're in charge of all the ships and fleets and stuff?"

"Yes."

Another awkward pause, and then Luke said, "Do you get to fly around in space a lot?"

"I guess," Starkiller replied, a little amused by the innocence. He was half-expecting a question about why the Navy was so big, was there a war, what did he do with all those ships, did he fight in battles.

"I always wanted to join the Academy when I got older," he admitted, "I'm a pilot, you know. I really like flying, but Uncle Owen didn't even let me drive the landspeeder much."

Starkiller wasn't really sure what to say to that. He didn't really know how to just do regular chatting with someone, much less a child. He'd had hardly any contact with other beings until he was sixteen, and then he became the Supreme Commander and when he spoke it was to give orders or outline plans; when he listened it was to hear reports or confirmations or salutes.

And so the awkward silence resumed.

*mooaaarr aaawwkkwwaaaarrrddneeess...*

...Until Darth Vader entered the room, breaking the silence but really only adding to the awkwardness. *_*

"So, son, how are you feeling so far?"

* * *

 _A/N: ...Aaand yeeah. That's that. This episode/part is almost done, by the way. Maybe a couple more chapters and then it's episode/part 2. Would you rather I called them episodes or parts? I can't decide._

 _The following note was prewritten and is copy-pasted into here:_

" _Once Part 1 of this story is done, I will be skipping directly into the time period of The Force Unleashed 1/ Star Wars Rebels. I WILL BE USING STUFF FROM BOTH SOURCES. This is AU, and I've always wanted to find some way to overlap the stories and characters of TFU and Rebels, since they coincide with each other and Rebels overrules TFU. Ahsoka will likely show up, the Rebels crew will be mentioned indirectly, Inquisitors will be mentioned, etc. I'm not sure about Kota, Shaak Ti, and the others though. Character that show up in Rebels (ex, Bail Organa) will definitely follow Rebels canon, but otherwise... I dunno._

 _Hint spoiler-ish hint thing: Starkiller will be taking on Vader's roles, just as Vader has now replaced Palpatine._

 _Part/Episode 2 of Vader's Empire will be set during the Rebels show time period. However, I will be simultaneously writing Part 3, set during A New Hope, and I will update Part 2 with the Rebels show episode releases (with a lot of 'lag' of course). Though, that'll mean careful AU consideration when writing Part 3, so as not to mention something too far off from something Rebels hypothetically says."_

 _So yeah. Okay. Review? *_*_


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